14 Great Women Comics Creators
Celebrating Women’s History Month with some great comic book writers
Whether you’re talking about Marvel Comics or DC Comics or an indie publisher, any list of great comic book writers would include several women.
For Women’s History Month, we highlight several female writers who use the comic book art form to share some compelling stories. Over the history of comic books, there have been a number of female comics creators—writers and artists—who’ve offered readers some wonderful characters and stories.
Below, I’m sharing a list of particular comics written by women that I think are worth mentioning. The list isn’t complete—there are far more title and far more creators than I’m sharing here. But these are more than a dozen examples that made me want to share. We’ll be talking about authors who came from outside the comic book industry as well as veterans—including (alphabetically) Hiromu Arakawa, Patricia Briggs, Nancy Collins, Janet Evanovich, Nalo Hopkinson, N.K. Jemisin, Kate Leth, Marjorie Liu, Seanan Mcguire, L.L. McKinney, Rainbow Rowell, Gail Simone, Louise Simonson, and Iman Vellani.
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14 Significant Comic Book Writers Who Are Women
GAIL SIMONE
A respected writer, Gail Simone has a wide range of comic book titles on her resume. It was just announced that Simone will soon be writing the prominent title Uncanny X-Men. (In fact, she’ll be the first woman to be the main writer of the series in its 61-year history.)
Simone’s comic book writing has also included work for DC Comics (including a lengthy time writing Wonder Woman, plus Birds of Prey, Batgirl, and Superman), Marvel Comics (with a notable run on Deadpool, plus Jessica Jones and her Variants, and a story in the new Women of Marvel anthology), Bongo Comics (The Simpsons comic books), and Dynamite Entertainment (Red Sonja).
Simone has also written for TV: One example includes one of my favorite episodes of Justice League Unlimited, “Double Date.” That’s the fun episode that featured the Question, Huntress, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. In fact, here’s a bit of the episode now:
Gail Simone is one of the most influential women in the comic book business.
Even before she was part of the industry, she got their attention with the website Women in Refrigerators, which discusses how often comics writers have treated women inappropriately in their stories. Since becoming a comic book writer herself, Simone’s work has been nominated for several awards. Among them, she has won an Eisner Award, a Harvey Award, and the Inkpot Award.
In this video interview, Simone talks to DC Comics about rethinking the origin of Wonder Woman…
Find Gail Simone online
MARJORIE LIU
The comic book trophy the Eisner Award is a big deal. And in 2018—the first time in its 30-year history—the first woman to win an Eisner Award for Best Writer was Marjorie M. Liu.
A best-selling author and comic book writer, Liu's comics currently include the ongoing fantasy comic book series Monstress (her Image Comics series which won her that Eisner, plus other awards—including the Hugo Award) and the graphic novel horror trilogy The Night Eaters (for Abrams ComicArts). Over the years, she has also written for Marvel Comics—including comics with Black Widow, Dark Wolverine, X-23, the X-Men, and a Star Wars comic book about Han Solo.
Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher. Here’s the trailer:
Liu talked with Entertainment Weekly about her approach to writing about monsters—which are sometimes terrifying, but can also be friends and family members:
"We're trying to integrate and come to terms with these wounds that are inside of us. And these wounds can feel like little monsters," Liu says. "The trauma can feel monstrous because it haunts us. We are haunted by these things, we are haunted by ghosts, and we are haunted by ghosts that aren't even ours. We're haunted by the things that our parents pass down to us, by the things that their parents passed down to them." (SOURCE)
Find Marjorie Liu online
SEANAN MCGUIRE
The first person to appear five times on the same Hugo Awards ballot(!), Seanan McGuire is the author of the October Daye urban fantasies (following a changeling knight and sometime P.I. through the streets of San Francisco and into the world of Faerie) and the InCryptid urban fantasies (about the monster hunter family), plus other works. Under the pen name of Mira Grant, she also wrote the zombie adventure Newsflesh books.
McGuire was the winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her 2016 novella Every Heart a Doorway received a Hugo Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, and Alex Award. Her zombie novel Feed (published under the name Mira Grant) was named as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2010.
McGuire has also written a number of comic book stories for Marvel Comics. This includes a story in Fearless, where she teamed up Captain Marvel, Storm, and Invisible Woman. She has also written issues of Ghost-Spider and Gwenom vs. Carnage.
She also has a novel coming out later this year that is set in the Marvel universe—that is, set in one of the alternate universes from Marvel’s What If territory. What If... Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? will feature alternate versions of Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man in a story that reimagines their Marvel origin stories.
In the video below, Seanan McGuire explains how writing X-Men comics for Marvel fulfilled a childhood dream:
Find Seanan McGuire online:
Related links:
‘Classic Monsters Unleashed’ by Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Owl Goingback, and more
Best Zombie Books: 50 Great Zombie Novels from Colson Whitehead, Seanan McGuire, Isaac Marion, more
Seanan McGuire: Complete October Daye Urban Fantasy Detective Series
Mira Grant AKA Seanan McGuire: Complete Newsflesh series + Interviews
N.K. JEMISIN
A science fiction novelist, N.K. Jemisin is the first author in the genre’s history to win three consecutive Best Novel Hugo Awards, for her Broken Earth trilogy. Her work has also won the Nebula and Locus Awards, and she is a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Her novels have sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Jemisin made her comic book writing debut for DC Comics with the sci-fi murder mystery Far Sector. A member of the Green Lantern Corps has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and—until now--murder has been nonexistent.
Jemisin talked with Entertainment Weekly about her Green Lantern comic:
“I had always designed Jo to be transferable into the great Green Lantern canon. That was one of the reasons why I wanted her to come out in floppy form first, because I understand the comic book audience enough to understand that when something comes out in graphic novel only, there’s a certain subset of the comic audience that’s just going to dismiss that — like she’s not a real Green Lantern unless she’s in a monthly series. So that was the goal, to set her up for whatever future usage within or without the canon. I feel like I accomplished that, because it worked.” (SOURCE)
In this video, Jemisin explains why FAR SECTOR is the Green Lantern story she needed to tell…
LOUISE SIMONSON
Comic book writer and editor Louise Simonson has worked on notable comic books like Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Jean Grey. Characters she has co-created include Cable, Steel, and Power Pack, as well as the Superman-killing monster Doomsday and the X-Men bad guy Apocalypse. She has also edited the horror comics series Creepy and Eerie.
Her awards include the Eagle Award, the Comics Buyer's Guide Award, and the Inkpot Award.
Over the years, Simonson has occasionally collaborated with her husband, writer and artist Walt Simonson. This has included some crossovers involving X-Factor and Power Pack with Thor and the Fantastic Four.
Simonson told Vulture:
“There were people who were appalled at the idea of me getting anywhere near the real Marvel books: the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, that stuff. I know of one or two people who just didn’t think women belonged anywhere near the core titles.” (SOURCE)
Below is an interview with Simonson—who talks about her part in killing Superman, as well as her return to Jean Grey…
More Louise Simonson online:
HIROMU ARAKAWA
Japanese manga writer and artist Hiromu Arakawa created the steampunk manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, styled after the European Industrial Revolution. The series takies place in the early 20th century—and is set in a world where alchemy is considered to be science. Following a failed attempt to bring back their mother from the dead, two alchemist brothers are struggling to restore their bodies with alchemy.
A global hit, the comic book series Fullmetal Alchemist has sold more than 80 million copies around the world. One of the best-selling manga series of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist has been adapted into TV shows, movies, a card game, toys, and more. It’s won such honors as the Shogakukan Manga Award, the UK’s Eagle Award, and the Seiun Award.
Arakawa is also known for her award-winning manga STRAY DOG, Silver Spoon, and for adapting The Heroic Legend of Arslan novels.
In this video is an interview (plus translations) with Arakawa…
More Hiromu Arakawa online:
NANCY COLLINS
Horror author Nancy A. Collins has written several novels and novellas and a number of short stories. This includes her Sonja Blue series, featuring a half-human, half-vampire vigilante. The first book in that series, 1989’s Sunglasses After Dark, is considered one of the first Urban Fantasy novels. She also wrote the Southern Gothic collection Knuckles and Tales, and the YA Vamps series. Her most recent novel is Left Hand Magic, the latest in the critically acclaimed Golgotham urban fantasy series.
Collins has also been the writer on several comic book series—including a 2-year run on Swamp Thing. She also wrote Jason vs. Leatherface, Predator: Hell Come A’ Walkin’, and the one-shot Dhampire: Stillborn.
She is a recipient of the Bram Stoker Award and the British Fantasy Award. She has been nominated for the Eisner, John W. Campbell Memorial, and International Horror Guild Awards.
In this video interview, Collins discusses her legendary Swamp Thing run, being one of the founding Vertigo comics creators, and her approach to comics.
More Nancy Collins online:
RAINBOW ROWELL
Author Rainbow Rowell writes all kinds of stuff. Earning a journalism degree in college, when she was 24 she became the youngest-ever and first-female columnist for the Omaha World Herald.
Becoming a novelist, Rowell sometimes writes about adults (in novels like ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE and the upcoming humorous and heartbreaking love story SLOW DANCE). Sometimes she writes about teens (as in ELEANOR & PARK and FANGIRL). Sometimes—actually, a lot of the time—she writes about lovesick vampires and guys with dragon wings (like in THE SIMON SNOW TRILOGY).
A lifelong fan of comic books, Rowell eventually began writing comics. This has included her first graphic novel, PUMPKINHEADS, and the Marvel Comics series RUNAWAYS.
Rowell is currently writing the monthly SHE-HULK comic book series for Marvel. In fact, as of this writing, Rowell recently relaunched her She-Hulk comic book series with the classic title Sensational She-Hulk. (Which points back to the legendary run from writer and artist John Byrne.)
Rowell talked to Marvel about her excitement writing the book:
“She-Hulk is a great book to write because Jen [She-Hulk’s regular name is Jennifer Walters] knows literally everyone in the Marvel universe—we’ve got sixty years of comics as our oyster. We really wanted to give Jen her own consistent supporting cast, so all the regulars will back for the new book. And we’ll keep bringing in fun guest stars.”
Rowell also told Marvel about how the She-Hulk stories will continue to see how the character is a romantic:
“One of our goals for the book was to show Jen in love. As a character, she’s always sought out romance, sex and companionship—but those relationships haven’t always played out on the page. We wanted to foreground and make space for it. I think the romance is an even better fit for ‘Sensational’ She-Hulk. It’s in the spirit of giving Jen the biggest and richest life possible. (And the best outfits and hair.)” (SOURCE)
In this Marvel Panel Recap from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, Rowell talked about her then-upcoming Runaways comic book series for Marvel…
NALO HOPKINSON
Jamaican-born Canadian speculative fiction writer and editor Nalo Hopkinson often infuses her fiction with Caribbean history and language, and its traditions of oral and written storytelling. As an SF storyteller, Hopkinson was honored with the 1999 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Ontario Arts Council Foundation Award for Emerging Writers.
She entered Neil Gaiman’s Sandman universe with the comic book limited-series House of Whispers (DC Comic), a story that took readers from the bayou to the Dreaming. “I was writing my first comic in the universe of one of the most popular comic series in North America,” Hopkinson said. “So no pressure.”
Her books include the upcoming Blackheart Man—where the magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within. She has also written the Locus Award-winning novel Brown Girl in the Ring and the World Fantasy Award-winning Skin Folk: Stories, plus Midnight Robber, The Salt Roads, and The New Moon’s Arms. She was the curator of Six Impossible Things, an audio series of Canadian fantastical fiction on CBC Radio One.
In this video, science fiction authors Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due talk with Hopkinson about overcoming homelessness, her journey in the arts, and transitioning to comics with Neil Gaiman…
PATRICIA BRIGGS
Bestselling urban fantasy author Patricia Briggs writes (among other things) the books in the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series. As described by the author, Mercedes is a Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Her Native American heritage has gifted her with the ability to take the form of a coyote at will. She’s surrounded by far more powerful supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires and an assortment of fae.
Briggs has also co-written a number of comic books for publisher Dynamite Entertainment. These include adaptations of her books Cry Wolf (the beginning of the Alpha and Omega series) and Moon Called (first book in the Mercy Thompson series). There have also been at least a couple of original stories set in the same world—including Hopcross Jilly—developed first for the comics medium.
“I fell in love with comics years ago,” Briggs said on her website.
“When I was invited to work with professional artists, and authors who specialize in adapting long-running prose into tautly-drawn comics, my first impulse was to panic—this is way outside my comfort zone. But everyone was patient, and the process has been a lot of fun.”
The Mercy Thompson prequel Homecoming is an original story that deals with what happened soon after Mercy’s arrival in the Tri-Cities.
“I changed several details to make the graphic novel work. Small things mostly, but an astutue reader will see some inconsistencies. The comic Mercy is going to be slightly different than the ‘real’ Mercy. Changes need to be made to tell a good story in a different medium, and I want the comics to be enjoyable reads.”
In the video below, Patricia Briggs talked with Charlaine Harris (True Blood creator) about writing Mercy Thompson as a Native American character…
More Patricia Briggs online:
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L.L. MCKINNEY
Named one of The Root 100 most influential African Americans and BET’s 100 entertainers and innovators of the year, Leatrice “Elle” McKinney, writing as L.L. McKinney, is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing. Her Nightmare-Verse trilogy is a modern retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland featuring a Black teen girl protagonist.
A lover of comics, anime, video games, sci-fi, and fantasy, McKinney’s YA graphic novel Nubia: Real One is a coming-of-age story about a Black girl with superhuman strength. The book features art by Robyn Smith. The character of Nubia, who first appeared back in 1973 in the Wonder Woman comic book, is DC Comics’ first Black woman superhero.
McKinney’s writing also includes the comic book Power Rangers: Heir to Darkness for BOOM! Studios and the Marvel Comics audiobook Black Widow: Bad Blood.
She talked to PBS NewsHour about her goals to bring equality into book publishing.
“I was a kid who loved science fiction and fantasy, but science fiction and fantasy did not love me back. If I was on the page, I was the sassy best friend or I was the enemy or I was the help or I was the gangbanger ... or whatever.”
Here’s her interview with PBS NewsHour…
More L.L. McKinney online:
Related link: 45 Important Black Comic Book Superheroes
KATE LETH
A Canadian comic book creator, Kate Leth wrote the Marvel Comics workplace-and-relationship comedy superhero project Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!. Leth developed an interest in comics while working at the Strange Adventures comic shop in Halifax, creating promotional art for the shop. Other works have included the witches comics series Spell on Wheels, the coming-of-age graphic novel Mall Goth, and the webcomics Kate or Die, Locke & Key: Guide to the Known Keys, and The Strange Talent of Luther Strode.
More about Kate Leth online:
JANET EVANOVICH
A former romance author who switched to writing comedy mysteries starring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, bestselling author Janet Evanovich has written lots of books. This includes her urban fantasy witch series Wicked (a spinoff of the Plum books co-written with Phoef Sutton), novels about recovery agent Gabriela Rose, her Knight & Moon mysteries (also co-written with Sutton), and the FBI-agent-teams-up-with-the-con-artist series Fox and O’Hare (also co-written with other authors).
The reason we talk about Evanovich here is because her Metro Girl series included an original graphic novel. The book series, starring auto mechanic Alexandra Barnaby and racecar driver Sam Hooker, started with the novels Metro Girl and Motor Mouth.
For the third book in the Metro Girl series, Evanovich co-wrote Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel with daughter Alex Evanovich for comics publisher Dark Horse. The comics were illustrated by Joëlle Jones (Madame Xanadu).
In Troublemaker, Barney and Hooker are together again fighting crime, “leaving a trail of chaos, panic, and disorder in their wake.” When their friend Rosa is kidnapped, her disappearance is linked to a dangerous voodoo priest—and his search for a mystery-drenched stolen statue.
In an interview with Diamond Comics, Alex shared about her and her mom’s love of comics. She also talked about their approach to this part of the series:
“I tried really hard to make the book appealing to both males and females. There is everything from swamp-boat and car chases to encounters with Sam Hooker’s mom. I also kept the language clean, so hopefully the tweens will discover it and enjoy it, as well as people in their nineties and everyone in between. Thanks to the amazing work of Joëlle, it feels a lot like a movie... at least to me. The story really comes to life with the pictures. Comics are fun, and variety is the spice of life!” (SOURCE)
The two women also made a video for the Books-A-Million bookstore chain to talk about Troublemaker…
More Janet Evanovich online:
IMAN VELLANI AKA MS. MARVEL
Actress Iman Vellani has played the character of Ms. Marvel on both the small screen and the big screen. And now she is even helping write the comic books!
The latest woman in the Marvel Comics universe to take the name of superhero “Ms. Marvel,” the character of Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American who protects the streets of Jersey City with her one-of-a-kind “embiggening” power. Created by Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona, the character first appeared in Captain Marvel #14 (2013). She has then gone on for a number of her own comics.
On screen, Ms. Marvel as played by actress Iman Vellani headlined the 2022 Disney+ TV show Ms. Marvel and then made the leap to the big screen for the 2023 movie The Marvels. (Sidenote: If you haven’t already seen The Marvels, you totally need to watch it. If for no other reason than it has one of my favorite fight scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie. And Ms. Marvel—and her family—are a big part of what I loved about it.)
And now—here’s why the actress is on this list—Vellani is making her comic book writing debut with the four-issue limited series Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant. Still being published at the time of this writing, the mini-series is also co-written by Sabir Pirzada, who also happened to write an episode of the Ms. Marvel show.
The mini-series follows Ms. Marvel’s recent “death”—and then she got better. (It’s a comic book thing we talked about here: Ms. Marvel “dies,” joins exclusive club with Mr. Spock, Sherlock, Batman, Spider-Man, etc)
Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant shows that following that event, Ms. Marvel has now discovered she is both an Inhuman and a Mutant. (Which I also predicted.) The mini-series explores Ms. Marvel’s newfound dual heritage as an Inhuman and a mutant—and becoming a member of the X-Men.
Phase Zero talked with Vellani about… lots of geek stuff. Including writing comics, her role in the MCU, and more…
More Ms. Marvel Iman Vellani online:
Related link: Ms. Marvel “dies,” joins exclusive club with Mr. Spock, Sherlock, Batman, Spider-Man, etc
The Rondo Awards honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's winners include the reissue of ROBOT MONSTER, the movie GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, the TV series WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and more! Find out the details here.